


"The Disease"

by UbiquitousSpook



Category: The Crucible - Miller
Language: English
Status: Completed
Published: 2012-01-06
Updated: 2012-01-06
Packaged: 2017-10-29 01:26:29
Rating: General Audiences
Warnings: Creator Chose Not To Use Archive Warnings
Chapters: 1
Words: 1,317
Publisher: archiveofourown.org
Story URL: https://archiveofourown.org/works/314337
Author URL: https://archiveofourown.org/users/UbiquitousSpook/pseuds/UbiquitousSpook
Summary: <blockquote class="userstuff">
              <p>Recently in America the biggest epidemic to take lives would be cancer or at this time known as the “illness”. Because their rural town does not have accesses to much technology or media, they do not know the cause of this disease and believe it to be witches. The townspeople would assume that the witch would be the person to have last seen the victim before they fell ill. This person would then be prosecuted for bewitching the victim and punished equally.</p><p>In our story our main characters are a newly-wed couple. A week after the wedding the husband falls ill. It is discovered at the hospital that he has “the illness”. Our scene opens in his hospital room as he and his wife are being interrogated to see if the cause of his illness is present even though the person asking believes that it is the wife who bewitched him.<br/>Rest of summary at end.</p>
            </blockquote>





	"The Disease"

**Author's Note:**

> As an end of unit assignment for reading The Crucible, my partner and i made up a play that had that was based as a modern day "witch hunt" or some thing that people are unnecessarily prosecuted for. This is one scene from our drama and a summary of the whole play from start to finish is at the end.

This scene follows the story of Chris and Cynthia Lewis, a newly-wed couple. A week after their wedding Chris falls ill with an unusual disease. After a day of Cynthia’s attempts to help him is proved futile, so Chris is taken to the local hospital. At the hospital it is discovered that he is a victim of a recent epidemic that has reached their town. Our scene opens in his hospital room as he and his wife are being interrogated to see if the cause of his illness is present even though the person asking believes that it is the wife who bewitched him. Chris is seen sitting upright in his bed talking to Cynthia who sits in a chair at his bedside. As they continue their conversation they hear a knock on the door.

(Knocking is heard)  
Cynthia: Come in!  
Interrogator: (Enters left) I presume that you two are Mr. and Mrs. Lewis?  
Chris: Yes, we are.  
Interrogator: I’m David Howard. I was sent by the local police station to help document Mr. Lewis’ disease.  
Cynthia: I’m Cynthia, and this is my husband, Chris. What do you need to ask us about?  
Howard: Well then. (Begins flipping through the pages on clipboard, before stopping, and trails pencil down the left margin.) What were the events leading up to yesterday, Chris?  
Chris: Well, Cynthia and I got married, and had a day-long ceremony. Then, five days later, I started to feel slightly feverish. I went to work anyways, but came home early because I was nauseous and had a massive headache. Cynthia gave me some aspirin, and I stayed home from work the next day.  
Howard: Hmm... (Writing down words on the paper) I see. (Turns to Cynthia) Cynthia, may you recount the events in your perspective?  
Cynthia: Alright. Well, we were married, and then there was the ceremony that followed, and then five days later, Chris came home early with an extreme stomachache and a migraine. I gave him the aspirin, and he went off to go lay down. He stayed home from work the next day, and the migraine turned into a fever, while a pain in his back had started to develop.  
Howard: (Scribbling into the note pad) OK. Now, Chris, may I have more details on the symptoms of the disease?  
Chris: Well, I started out with what you already heard from Cynthia, but now, the pain has spread to my shoulders, and all of the other symptoms have disappeared.  
Howard: (Finishes scribbling in more notes) Well then, what happened the day before your diagnosis, Chris?  
Chris: Well, I woke up with the pain in my back, only this time, it was worse. Also, my fever had gone down, although I was starting feel dizzy for no apparent reason. Cynthia came in, and gave me my breakfast. I finished it, and then decided to go to sleep for a little while longer. (Stops to take a sip of water)  
Howard: (Writing furiously) Hmm... Well, this is odd so far... May you continue?  
Chris: Alright. When I woke up, the pain in my back was unbearable, and I had no idea why. Cynthia came into the room about five minutes later, and after figuring out what was going on, she helped me up, and we went to the clinic. The doctor then went through everything, and diagnosed me with that disease that has been running around town for a while now.  
Cynthia: (Places hand on husband’s shoulder) Breathe, dear.  
Chris: (Glances apologetically at wife, then looks back at Howard) Sorry Cynthia, You know how I get sometimes.  
Cynthia: (Dryly) Oh, don’t I know indeed...  
Howard: (Clears throat) Erm... (Glances at page) Ah! Anyways, what happened after the diagnosis, Chris?  
Chris: Well, the doctor had me transported to the hospital so that the extent of the damage that the disease has caused could be evaluated. The doctor is now examining the X-rays to determine the extent of the disease.  
Howard: (Looks up from paper) I only have a few more things to ask you two, and then I’ll leave you be. Chris, who was the last person with you right before the diagnosis?  
Chris: Cynthia.  
Howard: (Narrows eyes, then writes down a few things on a new sheet of paper) Did you notice anything odd about her behavior, speech, or anything else, while you stayed home from work?  
Chris: No, not really, but then again, I was sleeping most of the time, or eating.  
Howard: (Nods for Chris to continue, and continues writing)  
Chris: Um... (A brief period of silence ensues)  
Howard: I believe that I now have enough evidence to prove that your wife was the person that bewitched you with the disease.  
Cynthia: (Standing up, enraged) What! Under what basis can you make that assumption?  
Howard: (Also standing, a sadistic smirk on his face) The last person to be seen with the person afflicted with the disease is the one who gave them the disease! That is what my basis is!  
Chris: You’re insane!  
Howard: (Turning and exiting left) I’ll be bidding you goodbye now!  
Cynthia: (Staring after Howard) Well dear, I’d best be leaving. The hospital’s visiting hours are probably almost over anyways.  
Chris: Alright Cynthia. Don’t go after Howard though, please?  
Cynthia: (Sighs over-dramatically) Fine... Well, I love you, dear! (Walking towards left exit)  
Chris: I love you too!  
Cynthia: (Exits left)

 

   
Summary

Recently in America the biggest epidemic to take lives would be cancer or at this time known as the “illness”. Because their rural town does not have accesses to much technology or media, they do not know the cause of this disease and believe it to be witches. The townspeople would assume that the witch would be the person to have last seen the victim before they fell ill. This person would then be prosecuted for bewitching the victim and punished equally.

In our story our main characters are a newly-wed couple. A week after the wedding the husband falls ill. It is discovered at the hospital that he has “the illness”. Our scene opens in his hospital room as he and his wife are being interrogated to see if the cause of his illness is present even though the person asking believes that it is the wife who bewitched him.

In the next few days Cynthia is arrested and neither she nor Chris can figure out the cause of her arrest. During Chris’ sad and now lonely hospital stay the doctor informs him that they do not know of a way to treat his disease and that it is likely that he will meet an unfortunate and untimely end within the next few months. Chris also asks the doctor of any recent town gossip and it is revealed to him that Cynthia was imprisoned for the crime of witchcraft.

Later Cynthia is allowed to visit Chris from prison and they have a joyful and loving reunion even though sadness seems to shadow every action of the two. They have common chatter about town and discuss that it must have been Howard’s intention to find a way to get Cynthia arrested. The two then try to go to court against him, but fail miserably and are forced to go their separate ways. Weeks later, Chris is found dead, as he had passed away in his sleep. The epilogue of the story closes with Cynthia and a little girl that she adopted shortly after being released that she right fully named Christina placing flowers on Chris’ grave two years later.

This situation in which our story is based is quite similar to that of the Crucible. In both stories people will blame anything unexplainable or unnatural on evil just because they fear it. Due to this, it can be assumed that nothing good comes out of acting in fear. That would also work as a theme for both stories.


End file.
